Reds in the Community is seeking to involve supporters and the wider community in exploring and telling the story of Barnsley FC and its home ground, Oakwell.

2017 will mark 130 years since Barnsley Football Club was formed in 1887, as well as marking 20 years since the club’s historic promotion to the Premier League in 1997. The upcoming anniversaries of the club’s formation and its historic promotion to the Premier League present a unique opportunity for the rich heritage of the club to be highlighted, explored and shared.

Reds in the Community, a registered charity delivering community and charitable activities on behalf of Barnsley Football Club, is going to be developing new heritage displays focusing on key events in Barnsley FC’s history from 1887 to the present day, as well as tours, events and activities for Oakwell, which will enrich visitors’ understanding of the heritage of Barnsley FC and its Oakwell Stadium.

Volunteers will be able to contribute their skills and knowledge to the project, getting involved in a range of tasks from interviewing players, staff and supporters, past and present, to undertaking research or helping to shape the developing heritage displays for Oakwell.

Reds in the Community will be working as a creative partner with the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on the ‘Sharing Memories of Barnsley FC’ aspect to the project, through which reminiscence resources, activities and displays will be developed within NHS settings. Volunteers will be able to get involved in this activity, enabling people across the borough to explore and share their memories related to Barnsley FC.

Reds in the Community is inviting supporters and the wider community to get involved in the ‘Our Club, Our Ground, Our Past, Our Future’ project this National Sporting Heritage Day 2016. Reds in the Community will be holding a Volunteering Information Session on Friday 30th September from 10:30am to 11:30am at Reds in the Community, Barnsley FC Academy Indoor Centre, Oakwell Stadium, Grove Street, Barnsley, S71 1ET. Anyone interested in booking a place to attend the information session can contact Sarah Hughes, Heritage Officer, Reds in the Community on 01226 211333 or via email at [email protected].

Heritage Lottery Fund Grant Surgeries in Barnsley

Other groups and organisations interested in heritage can find out more about how to access funding for heritage projects at grant surgeries to be held in Barnsley over the coming months.  The Heritage Lottery Fund will be in the Learning Lab at Experience Barnsley on Tuesday 18th October 2016 and Tuesday 7th February 2017 from 10 – 4pm.  Groups and organisations looking to find out about the funding available can book a slot to discuss their ideas with the HLF’s Development Team by telephoning the HLF on 0113 388 8037 or emailing y&[email protected].